Water-level controller



Jan. 16, 1923. E y

J. F. KELLY. 1M2221.

WATER LEVEL CONTROLLER. FILED MAR. 29. 1920.

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n/Eig@ mw@ Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

JOHN F. KELLY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'IO KELLY VALVE COMPANY, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION` OF MICHIGAN.

Application filed March 29, 1920. Serial No. 369,611.

To all w /Lom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN F. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a VVater-Level Controller, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to water level controllers, and has `more particular reference to means for automatically controlling the water level in a boiler.

One of the primary objects of this invention is the provision of automatically operated means for supplying water to a boiler and simultaneously sounding an alarm whenever the water level reaches a predetermined minimum .level and for shutting ofl' the water supply and so-unding a high water alarm whenever the water level in the boiler reaches a predetermined maximum height.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for this purpose, which shall be simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, positive and eflicient in operation, and one which will relieve the engineer of the responsibility of watching the water level in the ,boiler and admitting water when necessary, but which will, by an alarm, call the engineers attention to the height of the water level whenever it reaches a predetermined minimum or maX- imum height.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated on the accompanying drawings, practical, preferred embodiments thereof, by reference to which whenconsidered in connec-r tion with the following' description, my in- Vention and many of lits inherent advantages should be readily understood and -appreciated. l Y

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation partially in section, of a controller embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is afragmentary view of a modifled form of shut-01T valveg Fig. 3 is 4a transverse sectional View through the shut-oil'1 valve shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is 'a similar view of the shut-off valve shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof,

reference'character 6 indicates a water column casing adapted to be connected at the top and bottom by suitable pipes with the interior of a boiler. The casing may be equipped with the usual gauge glass 7 and the gauge cocks 8, positioned at various heights, as is customary.

The water supply pipe, through which water is vsupplied to! the boiler, is indicated on the drawing by reference character 9, and this pipe is connected with any suitable source of water supply under a greater pressure than that existing in the boiler, and is adapted to constantly deliver' the water into the boiler' either directly through the boiler shell or into the water column casing 6, as may be deemed preferable. kIn the water supply pipe there is interposed a shut-off valve indicated Generally by reference character 11. This valve casing is provided with a transverse partition 12, (Figs. 1 and 3) which is provided with a valve seat 13. This partition, as will be evident from Fig. l is so arranged that the valve 14 opens against the water pressure. This valve is carried by a stem 15, connected at its upper end with a piston 16,adapted to reciprocate in a steam chamber: or cylinder 17,'provided above the valve casing proper, the walls of the chamber and the valve casing being shaped to provide channels 18 and 19 communicating with the chamber 17 beneath and above the 4piston 1G respectively. It will be manifest that the difference in the steam pressure on opposite sides of this piston will cause the valve 14 to be opened or closed in accordance with the differences in pressure.

Steam is supplied to the passage 19 through a pipe 21, connected by means of a coupling 22 with the water column casing 6, and passage 18 is connected bya pipe 23 through a coupling 24 with the interior of the water column casing. These pipes are equipped respectively with. hand shut-off valves 25 and test cocks 26, as will be apparent from Fig. 1. Into the coupling 22 there is threaded a nipple 27, provided at its inner end with a valve seat 28 and to the outer end of this nipple, there is attached an alarm consisting of a steam whistle v29. The

coupling 24 is also equipped with a vsimilar nipple 31 provided at itsinner end with a valve seat 32 and connected at its outer end to an alarm 33. Valves 34 and 35 slidingly llO it the couplings 22 and 24 and are shaped at their outer ends to close against the seats 28 and 32 respectively, thus normally shutting oi'l iow of steam tothe alarm whistles. The valves 34 and 35 are provided with longitudinal pas'sageways 36 and 37, through which commiuiication is established between the interior of the casing 6 and the pipes 21 and 23, so that steam under pressure is normally present in these pipes and on both sides or' the piston 16 thus maintaining the valve 14 in balanced relation, the valve being normally retained in partially open position as shown in Fig. 3 by spring 58, as will be described.

The iow of steam through the pipes 21 and 23 is controlled by the valves 34 and 35, which are operated by mechanism which will now be described. the valves 34 and 35 are slotted `to accommodate a. lever 38 fulcrumed at 39 upon a bracket 41 and connected by a link 42 with the short arm of a bell crank lever 43 pivote-d at 44. The long arm ot this lever is connected by a link 45 with a rod 46, equipped near its upper end with an adjustable abutment 47 and its lower end with a similar adjustable abutment 48. A float 49 disposed in the water column casing, is adapted at the extremes of its rising and falling movements, to move the rod 46 longitudinally through the instrumentalities of the abutment 47 or 48, as the case may be, thus swinging the lever 43 on its pivot to draw inwardly one or the other of the valvesl 34 or 35.

Assuming that the water level in the boiler is lowered to a predetermined height so that the float 49 has fallen in the water column casing, until it moves the rod 46 downwardly, it will be evident that this movement of the iod will rock the lever 38 in a clockwise direction about its; f'ulcrum to withdraw the valve 34 from its seat 28` thus permitting an escape of steam through the whistle 29 to sound the low water alarm. The withdrawal of the valve 34 trom its seat and the consequent escape of steam through the whistle reduces ot course, the steam pressure in the pipe 21, and consequently, in the steam chamber 17 above the piston 16, whereupon the piston will be moved upwardly by the greater steam pres sure beneath it, thus further lift-ing the valve 14 from its normal position and permitting an increased flow ot feed water to the boiler through the pipe 9.

As the water in the boiler rises, the float 49 will move upwardly away romthe abutment 48, thus permitting the valve 34 to be closed by the pressure in the water column casing, thereby re-establishing the steam.

The inner ends ot ment with the abutment 47 whereupon upward movement of the rod 45 will ensue to swing the lever 38 in a counterclockwise direction, thus opening the valve 35 and permitting the escape of steam through the whistle 33 to sound the high water alarm. Opening of the valve reduces the pressure in the pipe 23, whereupon the piston will be moved downwardly by the greater steam pressure above it, thus forcing the valvel4 to its seat to sluit oit the flo-w of feed water to the boiler through pipe 9. As soon as the water level has been slightly reduced, `the float 49 lowers, thus permitting valve to close. Valves 34 and 35 are both normally held in closed .position by steam pressure.

Since the valve shown in Fig. 3 is designed to open against the pressure, l have provided means for normally holding the valve in partiallyopen position, and with this end in view, a stem 51 projects through the top of the steam chamber 17 and at its lower end has a lost motion connection 52 with the piston 16. A yoke 53 mounted upon the top of the steam chamber provides a guide for this stem which is equipped at its upper end with a hand wheel 54, by means of which the stem may be set to hold the valve partially open any desired amount and may also be raised or lowered to open or close the valve 14 manually, when desired. lVithiii the upper part ot the yoke 53 a non-rotatable nut 55 is threaded onto the threaded portion 56 of the stem 51 and between this nut and a guide nipple 57, through which the stem freely reciprocates, is arranged acoiled expansion spring 58 which holds the stem and the valve in the partially open position shown in Fig. 3. The strength of this spring is such that the valve will normally remain in this position against the pressure of the water above it, but a greater steam pressure above the piston 16 than that below will move the valve to its seat against the force of this spring. The lost motion connection 52 between the stem 51 and the piston permits the valve to be opened by the greater steam 4pressure beneath the piston, beyond its normal position a distance equal to the amount ot lost motion in the connection.

The valve shown inr Figs. 2 and 4 is substantially like that previously described and shown in Figs. 1 and 3 except that the valve seat partition 59 in this instance is so disposed that the valve seats against the pressure instead of with it. The valve is normally held in the open position shown by the water pressure beneath, the normal eX- tent of opening being limited by the stem 51. The nut 55 in this inst-ance is disposed beneath the spring 58 and the guide nipple 57 is threaded into the top of the yoke-in stead of through the intermediate portion thereof, as it is in the structure disclosed in Fig. 3. The spring, therefore, normally holds the valve stem 5l in the position shown in Fig. t, so as to yieldingly limit the opening movement of the valve 14: but further opening against the force of this spring may be effected by a decrease in steam pressure above the piston 16 While complete closing of the `valve may be effected by decrease in steam pressure below the piston. The differential of pressure on opposite sides of the piston is secured by actuation of the valves 34 or 35 by the float, as previously described. The lost motion connection 52 in this instance permits complete closing of the valve under steam pressure Without interference by the stem 5l..

lt is believed that my invention and preferred embodiments thereof will be understood from the foregoing Without further description, but it should be obvious that the structural details shown and described are capable of Wide variations and modification Within the scope of the invention, as

- defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a water level controller, the combination of a water supply pipe, a valve therein, a steam chamber, a piston in said chamber connected to said valve, a spring retaining said valve in partially open normal position, manually adjustable means for varying said normal position, steam supply pipes connected to said chamber at opposite sides of said piston, a float, and mechanism l operated by said float for controlling the steam supply to said pipes.

2. In a Water level controller, the combination of a Water column casing, a oat therein, a plurality of steam pipes connected with said casing, a high Water and a low water alarm connected with the pipes respectively, a valve for each pipe normally shutting off the alarms but establishing communication between said casing and said pipes, a water supply pipe, a valve therein. means for yieldably retaining said valve in partially open normal position, and steam actuated means connected With said steam pipes whereby said valve may be positively opened and closed beyond its normal position.

3. In awater level controller, the combination of a Water column casing, a float therein, a Water supply pipe, a. shut-olf valve therefor, manual means for adjusting said valve, a springnormally holding said valve in partially open position, a steam actuated piston connected with said valve for opening and closing the same beyond-said normal position, means for supplying steam under pressure to opposite sides of said piston, a high Water alarm, a lovv Water alarm,

and valve mechanism operated by said float l for controlling the operation of said piston and said alarms. i l i 4f. In a Water level controller, the combination of a Water supply pipe, a valve therein, means for normally retainingy said valve in partially open position to permit a continuous flow of Water through said pipe, means for manually actuating said valve, and means controlled by the Water level in a boiler for automatically increasing or decreasing the normal flovv past said valve.

5. In a Water level controller, the combination of a Water supply pipe, a shut-off valve therefor, means for yieldably retaining said valve in normal partially opened position, manual means for varying the position of the valve, a steam actuated piston connected with the valve for moving the same beyond normal position, means for supplying steam under pressure to said piston, a float controlled by the Water level in the boiler, and mechanism actuated by said float for controlling the steam supply to f said piston.

6. In a Water level controller, the combination of a Water supply pipe, a controlling Valve therein, a steam actuated piston connected with said valve, a controllingL rod having a lost motion connection with said piston, a spring for normally positioning said piston to hold said valve in partially open position, manually operable means for adjusting the normal position of said rod, means for supplying steam to said piston to vactuate the same, a float controlled by the Water level in the boiler, and means operable by said float for controlling said steam supply. p

JOHN fr. KELLY. 

